The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Albany (N.Y.)
Zips Downed by Albany and Maryland in Sports Imports Classic
September 16 | Women's Volleyball
Akron vs. Albany Box Score (PDF)
Akron vs. Maryland Box Score (PDF)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – On the first day of the Ohio State Sports Imports Classic, The University of Akron volleyball team lost to Albany (N.Y.) 3-1 (25-23, 16-25, 18-25, 19-25) and Maryland 3-0 (20-25, 20-25, 21-25) at OSU's St. John Arena. The Zips (3-9) gave a great effort despite missing two players due to injury, taking the opening set from the Great Danes (4-6) and giving Maryland (6-4) all it could handle in all three sets.
Akron vs. Albany (N.Y.)
Against Albany, Akron came out and won the first set but could not overtake the Great Danes in the final three. With the roster depleted due to injuries, several Zips turned in career performances. Freshman Kymberle Gordon matched her career best with 12 kills and finished with a .400 hitting percentage. Junior Chelsea Harvey, forced into the role of setter, notched career highs of 37 assists and three kills, while also adding 17 digs for a double-double.
Senior Courtney Jarvis led Akron with 14 kills and tallied 14 digs, as well. The Zips out-blocked Albany with 6.0 team blocks to 4.0 by the Great Danes. Junior Paiton Twitty led Akron at the net with four total blocks and also turned in five kills. Sophomore Alex Cocklin chipped in seven kills and 13 digs.
In the opening set, Albany raced out to a 4-0 lead, but the Zips responded and won the next three points. After a kill by Paiton Twitty, the Great Danes owned a 7-4 advantage. They maintained a slim three-point lead until Akron came back to even the score at 12-12. Again, however, Albany went on a run to go up 16-12.
UA countered to pull within two, down 18-16, later in the frame. A kill by Kymberle Gordon then knotted it at 19-19. With Albany ahead by one, Alex Wiederholt put one down the right sideline to make it 21-21. Some nifty defense then allowed the Zips to take a 22-21 lead on the next point. A kill at the net by Twitty earned set point for Akron at 24-22, and Alex Cocklin put it away with a smash to give UA the first set, 25-23.
The second set started out back-and-forth, with the score tied at 4-4 early on. Both teams continued to trade points until Akron took an 8-6 lead. The Great Danes came back firing, though, and won the next six points to give them 12-8 advantage. UA battled back for its own mini-run and trailed just 12-11 three points later, but Albany responded by jumping ahead to an 18-12 lead.
A block by Twitty and Cocklin put one on the board for the Zips, as Akron tried to get back in the set. Down 20-13, Janine Lawler added a kill for UA, but Albany's lead proved to be insurmountable. The Great Danes only allowed Akron three more points, as they went on to take the set, 25-16, and even the match at one apiece.
After a brief intermission, Akron came out and took a quick 3-0 lead in the third. Albany fought back to pull within one, but a kill by Wiederholt preserved the UA lead at 6-4. With the Zips still up by two, Twitty slammed another kill that made it 10-7 in favor of Akron. After a cross-court kill from Jarvis, UA held a 13-9 lead, but Albany bounced back to tie the score and then take the lead at 15-14.
The Great Danes extended their lead after a timeout, going up 18-14 after an Akron error. Jarvis nailed a kill to stop Albany's run, and an error on the next point pulled the Zips to within two. However, Albany claimed the next two points to lead 20-16. Jarvis notched another kill, but the Great Danes surged ahead and took the set, 25-18.
In the fourth set, Akron fell into a 5-0 hole out of the gate until Jarvis pounded a kill from the left side to get UA on the board. The Great Danes kept up the pressure and stretched their lead to 11-2. Trying to fight back, the Zips won four consecutive points to make it 11-6, but Albany answered by taking the next three to maintain a commanding 14-6 lead.
After a kill by Gordon and a service ace by Jill Paluch, Akron trailed 15-9. Continuing to edge closer, Cocklin hammered one home, and the Zips were able to make it 16-13, down just three. Lawler and Twitty combined for a block, and Akron took two more points to trail by one. With Albany up 18-16, an error again brought Akron to within one, but the Great Danes claimed the next two to keep their narrow advantage.
Down 20-18, Gordon earned a kill for the Zips, but a service error gave the next point to Albany. The Great Danes pulled ahead 23-19, and despite Akron's efforts, took the set and match on the following two points.
Akron vs. Maryland
Friday night, Akron battled Maryland in all three sets and put up a hard fight in a 3-0 loss. Jarvis again led the Zips with 13 kills, followed by Cocklin with seven and Wiederholt with five. Paluch finished with 17 digs, while Harvey added 10 digs and 23 assists. Gordon led UA at the net with five total blocks, as Akron tallied 7.0 team blocks to Maryland's 4.0.
In the first set, a strong start by Twitty helped the Zips to a 4-2 lead, but Maryland came right back to go up 6-4. Aided by a solo block from Gordon, Akron took a 10-8 lead. The Terps then evened the score at 12-12, and both teams traded points until UA went up 15-14 on a Maryland attack error.
With the score knotted at 17, Maryland won the next three points to hold a 20-17 advantage. Out of a timeout, Gordon notched another solo block and combined with Jarvis for one on the next point to pull Akron within one. The Terrapins went on a run, however, to make it 24-20 and then claim the set on the ensuing point.
Early in the second, Akron held a 5-4 lead and went up 8-5 behind great defense by Paluch. The Zips then extended their lead to 10-6 and forced Maryland to call a timeout. After the break, UM rallied to tie it at 10-10. With the Zips later down by two, Jarvis notched a kill to make it 15-14 in favor of the Terps. Akron dropped the next two points, though, to fall behind 17-14.
Maryland did not let UA back in the set, widening its margin significantly to 22-16. A long serve put one on the board for Akron, and the Zips trailed 22-18. A tip kill by Cocklin gave Akron another point, and Alex Wiederholt followed with a blast that ended a long rally, making it 23-20. The Zips could not come back any further, however, as Maryland ended the set at 25-20.
In the final set, Akron found itself in a 4-0 hole to start off and later trailed 7-2. A tip kill by Gordon earned a point for the Zips, but Maryland still owned an 8-3 advantage. Wiederholt landed one cross-court and Jarvis followed with a kill from the opposite side to bring Akron within three. With the Terps up 11-7, Maryland won three consecutive points to open up a 14-7 lead.
Cocklin added a pair of kills for UA, but Maryland still held an 18-11 advantage late into the frame. Akron fought back, bringing the score to 20-16, but the Terps won the next two points to end the threat. A kill by Wiederholt made it 23-18, and Akron took two consecutive points to pull within three, down 24-21. Maryland won the next point, however, to claim the match, 3-0.
Akron will play its last non-conference match of the season Saturday, Sept. 17, against No. 25 Ohio State (8-3) at 11 a.m. ET. Live stats will be available on GoZips.com.
